Jauhar University land: Allahabad HC grants bail to former cop Aley Hasan Khan in all 26 cases

PRAYAGRAJ: The Allahabad High Court has granted bail to former circle officer of police Aley Hasan Khan in all 26 cases registered against him in Rampur that alleged he, along with former minister Azam Khan, helped in illegal grabbing of land for Mohammad Ali Jauhar University.

It was alleged in the FIRs that the duo had threatened and pressured land tenure holders (farmers) to execute sale deed in favour of the university. It was further alleged that the duo had threatened to implicate them in false cases, detained them in lock-up for one day and forcibly took over their land.

Allowing the bail application filed by Aley Hasan Khan in all the 26 cases in which allegations are more or less the same, Justice Raj Beer Singh observed, "The first information reports (FIRs) of all the cases have been lodged after a delay of about 14-15 years."

"In the FIRs, no date, time or place of the alleged incidents have been mentioned. There is no such allegation that applicant is in possession of any of the disputed piece of land of any of complainant. No sale deed has been executed in favour of the applicant-accused. It was shown that applicant-accused is neither the founder nor the trustee or member of the said trust (running the university)," the court said.

"It has also been shown that main co-accused Mohd. Azam Khan, founder / trustee of the said trust has already been granted bail. Applicant is languishing in jail since May 7, 2023 and that investigation of all the cases is complete and charge-sheets have already been submitted in the court. Hence, without expressing any opinion on the merits of the cases, a case for bail is made out," the court added on Friday.

Aley Hasan Khan's counsel had earlier contended that the FIRs were lodged after a delay of several years due to political vendetta. "The applicant retired from service on June 30, 2017 and soon after his retirement, police have registered many cases against him within a span of two months under the influence of the ruling party of the state," the counsel submitted. The state counsel opposed the bail application, saying that the applicant was instrumental in obtaining the illegal possession of land of the complainants.